Bio:My name is Katie. I am a 20 year old EMT-B and a medic student from the midwest. I have worked for a combination 911/transport ambulance service for almost 2 years now. I swam competitively at a combination of the club, high school, and NCAA levels for 10 years and just recently quit because I decided to pursue a career in paramedicine.

1. What is your current title & some of your previous experience? I am currently and EMT-B and have not quite 2 years of experience with 2 different mixed 911/transport services. The service change came because of a company buyout.2. What is your favorite part of working for your department? I really love my work family. The first company that I worked for was a small mom-and-pop type of company, and so we all became very close. Since all of the employees were absorbed with the buyout, we are all still very close. I have found that after bad runs, I can always go to my work family for comfort and advice. We are there for each other no matter what.3. How do you define success? I define success in my field as being happy with what job you are doing, making your patients happy, and caring for the community. None of us are in this job to get rich, so for most of us, success doesn't have a monetary value.4. What have you learned over your lifetime that you'd like to share with the younger generation? Hard work will get you a long way. I know that I am one of the youngsters in the world of EMS, and I have seen firsthand the difference between the people who work hard, and the ones who don't. I feel like so many in my generation feel that the world owes them something for simply existing. The world owes us nothing. The only way to be successful in life is to pursue the career you dream of, and work your butt off to achieve your goals. I have discovered that the people who expect to be handed everything will achieve nothing.5. What is your favorite hobby? I still remain fairly active with swimming, however I no longer compete. I also knit a lot. I suppose some people would call me an old soul.6. Who has had the greatest influence on you? My grandmother definitely had the greatest influence on me. We were very close while I was growing up, and she taught me pretty much everything I know about working hard and being successful in life. Unfortunately, she passed away almost a year ago from Alzheimer's Disease.7. What will be your legacy? Is the world better because of you/your work/your influence? I hope that I can make a difference in somebody's life, whether it be somebody I'm close to, or a complete stranger. I hope that should I be lucky enough to have children someday, I can teach them the importance of hard work and selflessness. I really do hope that my work has or someday will make the world a better place.8. What's the funniest work story/ event you remember? Lord, there are so many to pick from. One of my favorites would have to be the little old lady my female partner and I went on for a fall. We walked in and her brother and sister were there. They explained to us that she had been down for a while, and they did not have the physical strength to get her off the floor. We walked into her line of sight and she said something to the effect of "Well, I was hoping if you HAD to call 911 they would send me some hot young firefighters! I guess you two will do." I responded with "Well, if you really want me to, I can get them to come out to pick you up." She turned beet red and declined. Refused treatment and transport and all was well once we got her moved back to her armchair.9. Is there anything I haven't asked about that you would care to comment on? I don't believe so.10. What is your favorite dinner & what do you drink with it? I would have to say chicken wings and onion rings. With a soda.